Royal Calcutta Golf Club, Kolkata, West Bengal India

Royal Calcutta Golf Club affectionately known as the "Royal" is synonymous with the game of golf in this country. Founded in 1829, Royal is the oldest golf club outside the British Isles, the oldest being the Royal and Ancient, St. Andrews in Scotland, the home of golf. The Royal truly has a history that would be a treasure for the archives of the game of golf.

Originally located near the Calcutta airport, the club moved to the Maidan and finally to its present location at Tollygunge in 1910. Meant exclusively for the use of gentlemen, ladies were very reluctantly admitted to the club in 1886, when the committee voted 43 against 13 on the condition that female members be allowed to use the course only in the mornings. The excerpts contained herein are from an archive compiled by late Pearson Surita (one of the most distinguished erstwhile committee members’).

His views have been reproduced in a concise format after very careful authoring so as not to disturb the essence surrounding, from the days of the Raj. The club’s existence had come about in the year 1829 at Dum Dum a northeastern suburb of Calcutta and was christened as the Dum Dum Golf Club.

In 1911, the club was honoured by King George V and Queen Mary, who conferred on it, the title of "Royal" to commemorate their visit to Calcutta. Much of the memorabilia connected with the history of the club is still preserved in the club house.

 The country over which the Royal Calcutta course is laid, was originally paddy fields, and the course is consequently very underlating. Successive committees have built mounds and planted thousands of trees and shrubs. But the Royal's conspicuous features are its strategically located water tanks and natural water hazards. The most significant are the two large tanks across the seventh fairway, a 457 yards, par four hole. From the tee, the tiger line is over the first tank and must carry all of 230 yards safer route to the right which leaves a very long second shot over the second tank, a good 100 yards wide, to a small undulating green wickedly trapped all around. The out-of-boundary wall dangerously hugs the entire left flank of this hole. Greens at Royal are quite large by modern standards and their undulations make them tricky and there is a little nap. Its strength lies in its par fours and to score, requires good, long and medium irons.

Royal Calcutta Golf Club affectionately known as the “Royal” is synonymous with the game of golf in this country. Founded in 1829, Royal is the oldest golf club outside the British Isles, the oldest being the Royal and Ancient, St. Andrews in Scotland, the home of golf. The Royal truly has a history that would be a treasure for the archives of the game of golf. In 1911, the club was honoured by King George V and Queen Mary, who conferred on it, the title of “Royal” to commemorate their visit to Calcutta. Much of the memorabilia connected with the history of the club is still preserved in the club house.

The Royal Calcutta Golf Club, established in 1829, is not only the oldest golf club in India but the oldest in the world outside Great Britain. Originally located near the Calcutta airport, the club moved to the Maidan and finally to its present location at Tollygunqe in 1910. Meant exclusively for the use of gentlemen, ladies were very reluctantly admitted to the club in 1886. In 1911 the club was honoured by King George V and Queen Mary, who conferred on it the title of 'Royal' to commemorate their visit to Calcutta. Much of the memorabilia connected with the history of the club is still preserved in the club house. The country over which the Royal Calcutta course is laid was originally paddy fields, and the course is consequently very flat. Successive committees have built mounds and planted thousands of trees and shrubs. But the Royal's conspicuous features are its strategically located water tanks and natural water hazards.

The out-of-bounds boundary wall dangerously hugs the entire left flank of this hole. Greens at Royal are small by modern standards, but undulations make them tricky, and there is a little nap. From the tee the course looks deceptively easy, but its strength lies in its par fours, and to score requires good long and medium irons. The most significant are the two large tanks across the tenth fairway, the 457 yards par-4 jinx hole. From the tee, the tiger line is over the first tank and must carry all of 230 yards. The after route to the right leaves a very long second shot over the second tank, a good 100 yards wide, to a small undulating green wickedly trapped all around.The Royal Calcutta Golf Club also has a Bowling Green section, founded in the early 19th century.